Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/288)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and this is the method for which he is known] (1), as are those who followed him, such as al-Suhrawardī (2) the Executed and other philosophers like him, [and Abū Hāmid], al-Rāzī (3), al-Āmidī, and others (4) among the later [practitioners of] speculative theology (5), who blended philosophy with speculative theology.

[These later speculative theologians who blended philosophy with speculative theology] (6): (* their confusion, doubts, and bewilderment increased (7) in proportion to the darkness they acquired from these (8) philosophers who blended philosophy with speculative theology *) (9). Thus, the darkness of the former was diminished by the teachings they adopted from the religious communities, whereas that of the latter increased through the ideas they adopted from those philosophers.

All this is despite the confusion and doubt regarding some matters found among the speculative theologians of the religious communities, their departure from the truth in some places, their following of caprice (10) in some places, and their failure to uphold the truth in some places—faults for which the scholars of the religious community and the imams of the religion (11) censured them. For they fell short in (12) understanding the rational proofs that Allah mentioned in His Book, and so they turned

(1) The text between square brackets is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (2) Manuscript (A): “like al-Shahrastānī”; manuscript (ʿ): “like al-Shahrazmadī.” Both are corrupt readings. (3) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “among the philosophers, and al-Rāzī”; manuscript (ʿ): “among the philosophers, Abū Hāmid, and al-Rāzī”; manuscripts (A) and (B): “among the philosophers and Abū Hāmid al-Rāzī.” (4) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and others besides the two of them.” (5) Manuscript (N): “among the later figures of speculative theology”; manuscripts (ʿ) and (M): “among the later practitioners of speculative theology.” (6) The text between square brackets is omitted from manuscripts (N), (M), and (ʿ). (7) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “their confusion was greater.” (8) Manuscript (N): “what they intended thereby of darkness”; manuscript (A): “what they intended thereby—the darkness of these people”; manuscript (B): “the darkness they thereby acquired from these people.” (9) The text between the asterisks is omitted from manuscript (M). (10) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “caprice.” (11) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “the scholars of the religious community and the religion”; manuscript (N): “the scholars of the imams and the Salaf, and the imams of the religion.” (12) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “fell short of.”

وَهَذِهِ الطَّرِيقَةُ هِيَ الْمَعْرُوفَةُ لَهُ] (١) وَلِمَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ كَالسُّهْرَوَرْدِيِّ (٢) الْمَقْتُولِ وَنَحْوِهِ مِنَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ، [وَأَبِي حَامِدٍ] وَالرَّازِيِّ (٣) وَالْآمِدِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمْ (٤) مِنْ مُتَأَخِّرِي [أَهْلِ] الْكَلَامِ، (٥) الَّذِينَ خَلَطُوا الْفَلْسَفَةَ بِالْكَلَامِ. [وَهَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُونَ الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ الَّذِينَ خَلَطُوا الْفَلْسَفَةَ بِالْكَلَامِ] (٦) : (* كَثُرَ (٧) اضْطِرَابُهُمْ وَشُكُوكُهُمْ وَحَيْرَتُهُمْ بِحَسَبِ مَا ازْدَادُوا بِهِ مِنْ ظُلْمَةِ هَؤُلَاءِ (٨) الْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ الَّذِينَ خَلَطُوا الْفَلْسَفَةَ بِالْكَلَامِ *) (٩) فَأُولَئِكَ قَلَّتْ ظُلْمَتُهُمْ بِمَا دَخَلُوا فِيهِ مِنْ كَلَامِ أَهْلِ الْمِلَلِ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ كَثُرَتْ ظُلْمَتُهُمْ بِمَا دَخَلُوا فِيهِ مِنْ كَلَامِ أُولَئِكَ الْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ. هَذَا مَعَ أَنَّ فِي الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمِلَلِ مِنَ الِاضْطِرَابِ وَالشَّكِّ فِي أَشْيَاءَ، وَالْخُرُوجِ عَنِ الْحَقِّ فِي مَوَاضِعَ، وَاتِّبَاعِ الْأَهْوَاءِ (١٠) فِي مَوَاضِعَ، وَالتَّقْصِيرِ فِي الْحَقِّ فِي مَوَاضِعَ - مَا ذَمَّهُمْ لِأَجْلِهِ عُلَمَاءُ الْمِلَّةِ وَأَئِمَّةِ الدِّينِ، (١١) فَإِنَّهُمْ قَصَّرُوا فِي (١٢) مَعْرِفَةِ الْأَدِلَّةِ الْعَقْلِيَّةِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَهَا اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ، فَعَدَلُوا

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٢) أ: كَالشَّهْرَسْتَانِيِّ، ع: كَالسَّهْرَزْمَدِيِّ، وَكِلَاهُمَا تَحْرِيفٌ. (٣) ن، م: مِنَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَالرَّازِيِّ، ع: مِنَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَأَبُو حَامِدٍ وَالرَّازِيِّ، أ، ب: مِنَ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ وَأَبِي حَامِدٍ الرَّازِيِّ. (٤) ن، م: وَغَيْرِهِمَا. (٥) ن: مِنْ مُتَأَخِّرَةِ الْكَلَامِ، ع، م: مِنْ مُتَأَخِّرَةِ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (ع) . (٧) أ، ب: أَكْثَرُ. (٨) ن: مَا أَرَادُوا بِهِ مِنْ ظُلْمَةِ، أ: مَا أَرَادُوا بِهِ ظُلْمَةَ هَؤُلَاءِ، ب: مَا ازْدَادُوا بِهِ ظُلْمَةً مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ. (٩) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) . (١٠) أ، ب: الْهَوَى. (١١) أ، ب: عُلَمَاءُ الْمِلَّةِ وَالدِّينِ، ن: عُلَمَاءُ الْأَئِمَّةِ وَالسَّلَفِ وَأَئِمَّةِ الدِّينِ. (١٢) أ، ب: عَنْ.